A Ref's Life

While the last day of the season was special for Kerry Fraser, it was a shining moment for another referee as well. “It was so fitting for his career, a guy that’s been part of so many big games to end his career on a game that was decided in a shootout to decide who goes to the playoffs.

Whether you like it or not, fighting is a very real part of hockey that linesmen have to deal with carefully and directly. “I’m not a spectator, I have a job to do.” – Veteran NHL linesman Brad Lazarowich.
It’s the most polarizing aspect of hockey.

This week in our regular feature examining the world of officiating, we explore the intricacies of the faceoff. “The worst thing that can happen is you drop the puck and the damn thing stays in your feet, because they’re just like wild animals coming for that piece of meat.

As the Olympics settle in, we take a look at the adjustments officials have to make to be prepared for international hockey. When the Olympics roll around every four years, there are adjustments to be made by the players, from the bigger ice to different rules to new teammates.

Shifting gears to the minor hockey side of the business, the author shares three of his own experiences as an official. “Midget AAA is one of the hardest levels to ref...because of the parents.” – NHL referee.
An hour and a half north of Toronto, near the gateway to cottage country, lays a town called Coldwater with a population of about 3,000.

In this edition of our look inside the world of officiating, we explore the past and present of visor use. “The bottom line is, I tell people who don’t wear visors – mostly when I go speak to amateur officials in the U.S., because visors are not mandatory there – you have to realize you’re not faster than the puck.

As the veteran referee prepares for Game 1,000, he talks about his career and his peers chime in on the feat. “It’s a big deal. That’s a lot of freaking games. It’s sort of a recognition of a lot of games, a lot of hard work, a lot of travel your family puts up with.

In our continuing exploration of the world of officiating, we examine the importance of communication among the refs themselves. “The big time for us to discuss stuff is the TV timeouts. I might ask my partner, ‘Hey did you get a good look at that hooking penalty I called?’ And he might have had a different angle and say, ‘Well you maybe could have let that one go.

In our continuing look at the world of officiating, we explore the discretion aspect and how experience is the only way to learn. “Go buy yourselves new hats. What you need to do is lift the brim of your hat up and get a new level of expectation, get a new horizon, because your horizon is unrealistic.

This week in our exploration of the world of officiating, we look at how refs communicate with the men behind the bench. “When dealing with a player or coach, I try to be empathetic, I say, ‘Listen, I know where you’re coming from, there was a call missed or whatever, I’d be pissed off at you, too, but this is the way it’s going to be and we have to go on from here.

A part of keeping order in a game is being able to talk with players so everybody understands what's going on. “It’s constant communication and most of them are respectful and appreciate that...
Except there’s been a couple guys over the years who just tell you to shut the f--- up, so you know what? That’s fine.

This week in our feature about the world of officiating, we explore how injuries can impact the men in stripes, too. "I was a police officer with the OPP for 10 years and people used to ask me why I left the police force to go into refereeing and I said: ‘Pucks only hurt; bullets kill.